ANNIE ABBOTT

Colour and detail are the cornerstones of Australian shoe designer Annie Abbott's aesthetic.

With a career that started in the London buying office of Net-a-porter.com, followed by a business strategy role at Sass & Bide in Sydney and onto a long awaited shift into product development for a Melbourne footwear group, it was only a matter of time before entrepreneur and shoe enthusiast Annie Abbott turned her dream of launching a unique footwear brand into a reality.

The result is habbot studios - a distinctive blend of exclusive French inspired detailing and fresh style that, as Australian shoe designer Annie recalls, was born of a desire for shoes that were equal to her wardrobe of inspirational contemporary clothing brands.

"I could only ever find this type of styling and quality in international luxury brand footwear, which made it a 'luxury' that was sometimes difficult to justify! Habbot will offer a new variety of dress shoe options, offering an adventurous colour palette and amazing quality, that women can invest in each season without having to sacrifice any of their other new-season essentials!""Great attention is paid to the finishing details of each shoe, for instance, I always prefer to use a piped edge around a strap instead of a raw one, or add some contrast stitching if it helps pull a colour palette together. But this important 'polished decorum' must be balanced with a sense of personality and humor so I try to incorporate this in the colour and materials I use. I want my shoes to say something about their wearer."